History has been created after the signing of the Diplomatic Relations Agreement on Monday 14th July, 2008 at the Estonian Embassy between the two countries with the High Commissioner of Fiji, HE Mr Pio Bosco Tikoisuva signing on behalf of the Government of the republic of the Fiji Islands and the Ambassador of Estonia, HE Dr Margus Laidre signing on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Estonia

The agreement is driven by the desire of the two countries to, among others, promote relations of friendship and co-operation between their respective peoples and countries in the political, economic and cultural fields.

Estonian officials are already queuing up to head the first diplomatic "fact-finding" missions - the smell of suncream permeates the halls of Estonia's Foreign Offices.

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Estonia urges EU to tackle Somali pirates

Estonia has urged the European Union to take stronger action against Somali pirates attacking cargo ships bound for Europe, after an Estonian sailor was held hostage for 41 days.

"The EU needs more cooperation and stronger efforts to end the growing cynical business of Somali pirates who hijack dozens of cargo ships sailing between the Indian Ocean and Europe each year," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told reporters here.

Should the EU fail to take stronger action, then there is a rumour that Hollywood could take up the story.

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Russian in deep water after swimming home to Estonia

Authorities in Estonia are mulling what to do with a 45-year old Russian picked up drunk and wet after trying to evade guards by swimming illegally across the European Union and Schengen zone borders. The man, identified only as Sergei, lost his passport while on a trip to Russia and was trying to get back to his home in Sillamae, a small town in north-eastern Estonia near the Russian border.

"Sergei chose a bizarre way to return home after he had lost his passport during his visit to Russia," Aimar Koss, head border guard for north-eastern Estonia, said.

It is believed that Sergei has been hastily given a replacement passport and has been speedily flown out to Beijing to join-up with Russia's Olympic swimming team.

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Estonia debates same-sex partnerships

The Ministry of Justice in Estonia is preparing a draft law which would allow same-sex partners to register their cohabitation. Estonia has been a member of the EU since 2004. Homosexual acts were decriminalised in 1999.

Details are not yet being revealed but amendments to inheritance, property rights and citizenship will be included. Unmarried heterosexual couples could also benefit from the draft law.

Every new piece of legislation is a minor victory for equality in Europe and we can only hope that one day these rights will be treated as second-nature, just as voting rights for women is now viewed.

Legislation = equality sounds fine but the formula is flawed: only what is not self-evident and taken for granted needs to be legislated and imposed by law and by police force. No polity legislates whether or not people have a right to eat or to breathe. The crucial question is this: are rights inalienable or are they legislatable and then imposed. And if they are imposed by a powerful legislature or State why could not the same State take them away at whim? Which is to say: where are those rights anchored?

Sand

2008-07-31 17:56:07

If you are not aware that legislatures frequently do take away these "rights" there is something radically wrong with your information resources.